Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-25
WEDNESDAY. MAY 25. 1887
The Virginia Western.

The presencein Richmond OF the Legis.
iature and Of the British commission, and
their efforts 10 effect final settlement Of
the State debt, have caused our people to
lose sight for awhile OF the Virginia West
ern railroad scheme, which, as we have said
from the beginning, Is one that promises to
contribute largely TO the growth In wealth
and population OF Richmond. That road
will penetrate q region able to sus-
tain Il even II 1t had no western
outlet. But with connection at
Memphis with all the. world OF western
railroads, and ut Richmond, or Norfolk, or
Baltimore, or elsewhere perhaps we should
say and elsewhere with all the world
of railroads and OF river and Of marine
navigation, the Virginia Western ought to
take rank within few years with the Bal
timore aud Ohio, the Pennsylvania, aud the
greatest OF the other roads having termini
in New York city. 1t is indeed a magnid-
cent region which our proposed new rail-
road Is intended to open up to the world.
Whilst, however, we OF Richmond were
worrying ourselves about debt questions
Colonel BUFORD was out IN Southwest Vir-
GINA "talklng up" this youngest child OF
his. We learn from the CIlnch. Valley
NewS that on Monday, the first day OF the
Circuit Court. he delivered in the court
house, at Jacksonville, q short address, IN
which be explained the purposes Of the
management Of the said road and the Ten
nessee Midland, OF which he is also presi.
dent, snd the duty OF the vast country
through which his road is proposed to be
built. He declared Is to be their purpose
10 construct q trunk line, eight to nine
hundred miles in length through region
new destitute of transportation facilities,
but immeasurably rich in resources.
"Immeasurably rich In resources" Is not
extrsvagant language. Colonel BUPoRD
asked subscription Of only fifty thousand
dollars from the county Of Tszewell.
The following announcement in the
Ciinch- Valley Ne,oS emphasizes what Colo
mel BUYoRD said as to the richness Of the
region 10 be penetrated by this new road.
We quote:
GWe have the positive announcement TO
make that O grand find OF specular mag
netic ore, lying north OF Round mountain.
exists on the lauds OF w. D. Yost, Esq, OF
this town. The interesting feature OF this
deposit lies in the fact that 1t Is In the line
OF the proposed Virginia Western railroad
near the base OF the mountain living be-
tween the waters OF Wolf creek and Clear
Fork. eastward from Crabtree's Gap"
A passenger road should be made as
ST. aight a. possible-that is, q road whose
principal business is carrying passengers,
But taere are very few such roads. The
Virginia Western will be freight-bearing
road. lis track Will wind In and out, and
around and about-it will cross some
streams many times-it will pass near mines
of coal, mines OF iron ore, aud mineral de.
posits rot known TO be there, vast forests Of
lumber, rich tobacco lands. and what not
and the more the line winds the greater
the area Of territory which will be benefited
by it. The Newport-News and Mlssissip-
nj Valley railroad is road OF the kind we
have Just described. So is the Baltimore
and Ohio, which has eight depotS in one
county CNariOn) in West Virginia, and two
of these though several miles apart by the
railroad, are scarcely half mile apart by
Che county road or turnpike; and yet both
are needed. owing to the peculiar conform
alton Of the surrounding hills. Suppose
Tazewell county had eight depot-towns
within her limits on one railroad.